


To Guard a Dream of Long Ago

by DancingInTheStorm



Category: Merlin - Fandom
Genre: Gen, Purge era, passing of the torch
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-16
Updated: 2017-01-16
Packaged: 2018-09-17 23:14:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 634
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9350489
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DancingInTheStorm/pseuds/DancingInTheStorm
Summary: Once, Camelot's guards were the best of Albion.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [The Guard's Code of Conduct](https://archiveofourown.org/works/7861666) by [Drag0nst0rm](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Drag0nst0rm/pseuds/Drag0nst0rm). 



Once, Camelot's guards were the best of Albion.

 

"We caught another five escaping tonight," Kestrel reported, and Captain Kai's shoulders sagged.

"Describe them," he ordered, although everybody already knew what kind of people were trying to escape.

Kestrel glanced at him, obviously thinking the same thing. "One had magic. Not much. She could barely summon a flame, and unless all the sense was knocked out of her head, she would have fought back if she could. The other four were trying to escape before they were executed for knowing a sorcerer. All in the dungeon awaiting trial. Sir."

All the unspoken thoughts, all the carefully neutral words. How had it come to this? One sorceress, one death, and -

Even treasonous thoughts were treason. He stopped.

"Kestrel," he said at last, "it's been a long night." _It's been a long year_. "Bring the men some of the fall cider. They've earned it."

Kestrel blinked. "But that cider's going bad -" He paused. "I'll do it myself, sir," he said, ever so neutrally.

 

Dice, once grounds for immediate dismissal, gradually found their way onto late night tables and far outposts. Absences went unfilled. Training slipped. The king, oblivious, slowly discovered that his once-elite were not nearly as competent as they once had been.

Sorcery, of course, was blamed for the increasing escapes. Yet another nail in the coffin the guards were slowly and unknowingly dismantling.

 

It was nineteen years later, and Captain Kai was tired. His job had become far more demanding of late. While King Uther still remained complacent, his son was becoming more and more aware of the substandard quality of the Camelot guards. Magical attacks, for many years dormant, were again on the rise. On top of it all, an uneasy report had been filed by one of the few remaining old guard who had remained as protectors of the city - for the city was what they had sword an oath to, not to the castle, not even to the king. _Someone has been down to visit the dragon_ , the note read. A chill ran down Kai's spine. The dragon was dangerously bitter and enormously powerful, held in check only by straining locks of questionable origin.

 _Wait_ , he wrote in careful, tight script at the bottom of the report. _And watch_. His hand shook only a little. Invisible, unless you were looking for it. He sent the directive out to all of the old guard. And they watched.

They watched as the boy quietly and usually unobtrusively deflected threats to the unsuspecting prince. They watched as a startling and unusual friendship slipped into the prince's arrogant, caring, isolated life. They watched as the boy uneasily started down a long and lonely path of protection that, although somewhat different, the old guard knew only too well.

Kai had been worn down by his role for many years, only remaining because he knew both the skills of the old guard and why the new recruits could not learn such things. None else could replace him. Not until now, when Arthur's cheerful, lonely protector started guiding Arthur onto a path that might one day allow Camelot's guard to again be the best of Albion.

 

"Retirement?" Bedivere said. "We need you, Kai - you are one of the only guardians this city has left."

Kai smiled wearily, wanly. "The city has a better one, now." A young man, old enough to know right and wrong and young enough to be unwearied by it. One capable of far more sacrifice than Kai found in the depths of his soul. One who gave all and asked nothing but forgiveness - he hoped that one day, the prince would see who truly stood at his shoulder.

And so the passing of roles, quiet and unobserved, was silently handed on to the next generation.


End file.
